One Night
by EsophagealEruption
Summary: For the Season5 Fanfic Contest! Seto goes to a bar to unwind, Ryou goes to get away... And when you let loose the shy ones, they always seem to end up the quirkiest... The best to live life loud with.


Hola, mis companeros! :D Whow! Round four. I went through so many ideas for this one. Euroshipping, the euroshipping shonen-ai couple Seto x Ryou. So many different ideas were like, Me! Me! Me!. And I was so very tempted by all of them. So, so tempted. Well. This bunnykin won over the other ones [like the one where I gave Ryou cancer. D:] , and I liked the idea, but I'm not sure how it will turn out. But let's rock with it.

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Silence did not bide well with Seto Kaiba. It left too much space for demons of the past to enter. It left too much space for worry, thought, pain, it left too much space vulnerable in his mind. As a man of higher intellect and some possible mental health issues, Seto decided it was imperative to feel vulnerable as close to never as possible.

So, to keep the silence away, various precautions were taken. He worked insanely long hours, bought an iPod, bought an extra iPod in case the other one broke, bought a Zune in case both Pods were worthless, and about three other backup players. Unfortunately, his younger brother had borrowed the three backups, he'd left his Zune on the AmeriCorp Jet when he'd met with Gates last week, His iPod was at the Main KCorps building, and, damn to hell, the one he had on him had just died, and the maid misplaced the charger again, he'd learned this morning.

The brunette wasn't tired, and he was stuck in traffic downtown. Plenty of noise – thumping cars all around, motors, street musicians, loud clubs pulsing away dance mixes. But in about twenty miles, he would be home, and there was nil but silence there. The help would be in their quarters, Mokuba was staying with an approved friend, and it would be silent. Kaiba frowned, and switched lanes. He pulled into the public parking garage and swiped his credit card, got a ticket, and parked towards the top of the building. He got out of his car.

"I'm not really dressed for this, but…" he said aloud, to himself. Nice slacks, nice shirt, trench coat. Nice clothes, but far too nice for the places he'd subject himself to to keep silence away.

He popped the trunk of his car. Off went the trench, off went the shirt. It was cool out, but the black undershirt-tank-top sufficed. He rummaged around the back and produced a pair of jeans he had in case of…Whatever he might need jeans for. Like moving the dead body of an associate-gone-bad or something. He glanced around, and, noting no one was in sight, and that all security cameras were either blocked or oddly missing, whipped off the slacks and wriggled into the jeans. They were a year old, it seemed, from the run in the knee and the wearing of the hems. They were a little too tight. Seto grimaced as he buttoned them up, and looked at himself in his side mirror. Hm.

"I think these are Mokuba's jeans…" he commented, again to himself, blandly.

He heard some kind of rave music coming from below.

They'll do.

He slammed the trunk shut, grabbed his wallet from up front, and locked the car. Wallet in one pocket, keys in the other. We walked off towards loud music.

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Thunk, thunk, thund, tuhnd, thud, thud.

Music pulsed loudly from seemingly everywhere. Kaiba entered, slightly revolted at himself for actually thinking, coming, and entering the place. Oh, and staying hadn't been on his "awesome" list, either, but it was really better than silence.

He gazed from one end of the joint to the other, deciding where he should go. Tables with strippers, tables with food, or stools with drinks? He opted for the drinks. Stealthily, he swept over to the line of stools, and took a seat.

Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.

The barkeep looked at him expectantly.

"Blue Hawaiian," he commented shortly before turning to look into the smoky atmosphere.

Click, click. Babble, bubble. Click. Click, click. Clink,clink.

Not a minute after he'd asked, the keeper tapped his shoulder.

The drink sat on the table, done up for and garnished completely. Thirty seconds seemed impossible for the making of one, but Kaiba shrugged it off and gave the guy a twenty.

"Get someone else or two a little something," he said, and picked up the glass. He was feeling generous tonight. Well, generosity was done for, now, but, he had done something nice for someone who wanted to get smashed, so it was okay.

The brunette looked around, bored with the scene but not minding the loud, heavenly noise. The smoky, hazy atmosphere didn't get him anything but dull outlines. He sipped his drink. A bit sweet, but otherwise, well made.

An arms slithered out from nowhere, and draped itself around the man's shoulders.

"Heyy, honey," drawled a thick, English voice, "How _you_ doin?" Seto slowly turned to face the drunken woman. He was greeted by pallid grey eyes with too much eyeliner, mascara, shadow, and smudged makeup and extremely unkempt brown hair. He looked at her. She was somewhat overweight, and she smelled like she'd been here a while – smoke and alchohol.

"Uh, I have to," Seto started, picking up her arm carefully and removing it from his body, "Go meet someone. Away from here."

He picked up his drink, and stood. She fell onto the floor, laughing.

"Honey, you can't take care of him! The parakeets will get you!" she brayed, laughing insanely.

Kaiba shuddered at her lack of control, and moved to the catcalling section. So much as he disliked stripping and such, he'd rather watch the whores dance their games over the whores making him their game. He sat at a vacant table.

Thud thud. Thud. Thud.

The music was loud.

In the dank darkness of the drably decorated dwelling, he looked at his drink wondrously before glancing up at the dancer closest to him. He sipped his drink as his eyes tried to focus on the dancer, who was looking more and more familiar as the seconds passed.

'Hm... He's awfully pale…' he thought.

Sip.

Thud, thund, thunk.

'Awfully nice legs, too. Oh, his hair is long. It is a guy, right?' he thought, examining the figure more closely.

Sip.

Scrutiny.

Thund, thund, thunk.

Large, soft, thickly-lashed brown eyes caught his stare.

'I know those eyes. He's one of Yuugi's friends,' the brunette mused, 'I wonder what he's doing dancing. He didn't seem like…Like that kind of person for the twenty minutes I knew him.'

Thud. Thud.

Sip.

'What's his name?'

"Ryou. Bakura Ryou," he muttered aloud, and took another sip. He placed his chin on his hand, leaning on the table in front of him.

"I'll be shot. Bakura Ryou, friend of Bambi, is an exotic dancer. I am so shot," he thought aloud.

He became aware that Ryou was looking more and more often in his direction.

The music stopped. Ryou and three others pirouetted, picking up stray articles of flimsy clothing and tossing it out to the mangy crowd. They strutted away, waving at members of the audience flirtatiously. They disappeared behind a large curtain. The music started again, not as loud this time, and three new exotics confidently strode from the back. Seto dully recognized another of Yuugi's friend-power gang, Malik or Marik or Mariku or whatever they had called him. He couldn't quite recall.

He watched, emotionlessly.

Thundk.

The music got louder as the striptease began again.

A pressure arose on Seto's left, and he turned to look who'd slid into the booth. If that freak from earlier was following him… He relaxed when he was it was Yuugi's friend.

"Hey."

"Hi, Seto," Ryou said, "Mind if I sit here?"

"You're already here."

"I can leave."

Seto paused.

"No, it's alright, you can stay."

"Good, because all the other people are nyucky," Ryou said, and pulled his hair back into a low ponytail. "So, what brings you here tonight?"

"Didn't want to go home. Nothing's there," Seto replied dully, circling the rim of his cup with his index finger, "I didn't know you were, ah, a, ah…An exotic dancer."

The paler man shrugged.

"They were hiring, I needed a job. It's not hard, either, and it actually brings in okay money. Sometimes, when KC is having a convention, we get awesome bills tossed at us. Seriously. If you can get a good joint, you can make about 2 to 3 grand in Americans a night," Ryou said openly.

"Holy shots, that much? Wait, do you, you know, perform services on nights as such?" Seto asked, flustered.

"Well," Ryou said hesitantly, "Some of the others do, but prostitution is illegal, and I'm not really for going to jail. I'm in college, you know. Jail could put a damper on getting my degree."

For the sake of conversation, "What are you majoring in?"

"Otology, but I'm getting a minor for backup in audiology," Ryou said as he flagged down a waiter.

"Yes?" asked the dark-haired waiter.

"Cosmo," Ryou said, and handed him a bill.

The waiter walked away wordlessly.

"Bad service," Seto commented.

"He knows me."

"Huh."

Thunkd. Thundk. Thudnk.

"Do you like working here?" Seto asked, keeping up the conversation.

"It's okay. I wish I could have some peace and quiet, though. Good money, but, it's tough on the ears. I'd give anything to hit the road and just be done for tonight. I have a huge test tomorrow, so…"

Ryou continued on, and the waiter returned. Seto asked to see the manager. The startled waiter complied, and looked worriedly at the still-rambling Ryou.

The waiter disappeared into smoke.

"..And I'm not sure that I've studied the right section of the text involving …"

Kaiba listened, to the voice of the man next to him, the loud music, and the catcalls of the audience.

A rather obese man in nicely tailored clothing suddenly blocked Kaiba's view, and Ryou started somewhat nervously. Kaiba pulled out his wallet, and took out several bills.

"My friend here has some obligations to meet outside of this place. Will 6 grand, American, be alright?" he asked coolly, pushing bills in the manager's direction.

A deep, dark baritone complied, a simple, "Yes," and then the blubberball waddled away.

Seto stood up. He looked at Ryou, and motioned for him to stand.

"Let's go," the brunette said, and started to walk away.

"What? Wait, Why?"

"You have an exam to study for."

"Oh," Ryou said, the slightest amount of rejection…Dejection laced his voice, "Well, My ride is still working.."

It went unnoticed, apparently.

"I have a car."

"Oh," Ryou said, as they stepped through the threshold of the bar and the street, "What model is it?"

"Porsche Turbo 2007."

Ryou whistled appreciatively, but the sound was lost in the noise.

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Ryou fingered the leather seat he was sitting in tentatively.

"Malik still has the key to our apartment," Ryou said, sitting up at his sudden realization.

"Oh," Seto said, and pulled over, "Should we go back?"

'I wonder if he realizes I'm just trying to make him talk to delete the silence,' Seto thought, 'He has a calming voice.'

"No, well, yes, well, no, he's busy, but..I don't want to bother our landlord, and I don't want to stand outside…"

"You can stay with me."

"I hardly know you," Ryou said hesitantly.

"No one knows me except my brother, so that's not surprising. Do you mind?"

Ryou thought.

"No, no. I guess not. It's really not a big deal. Just sleeping over, right? All 25 year old guys go to strip joints, grab a dancer and go home with said dancer."

"I've never done it," Seto said.

"I know."

"How?"

"The way you sit, the way you drink, the way you watched me on stage…It's pretty obvious to me that you haven't gotten any from anyone but your hand from quite some time."

"You can tell all that?"

"You learn, after a while, who gives the most money. Then you learn to read the money-makers. That makes life so much easier."

"Oh."

"Surprised?"

"I was. But, you're going to be a doctor. You have to notice things about people, or you won't do it well."

"Hm."

Seto cut the engine. It was dark in the car. He bowed his head slightly, putting his hands in his lap.

Ryou had done the same thing earlier. He sat now, head bowed.

"So.."

"It's your place."

"I know, but…I don't like silence much."

"Oh. Why?"

"It makes me think."

A brief pause intruded, but Ryou cut it short, "About what?"

"About the things I've done wrong," the brunette man admitted, immediately surprised with himself. No one knew things about him because he was…Well, he was Seto Kaiba. The Hawaiian must've loosened him up a good deal; he didn't hold his liquor well at all.

"Oh."

A long silence settled over them as they sat in the darkness.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Another bold, foolhardy, anti-Kaiba-esque, statement.

"Yes, but we hit a bit of a crag. Yourself?" Ryou asked, totally open. 'Why not – he's got no scores to settle with me, and after tonight, maybe tomorrow morning, I'll never see him again,' the paler man thought to himself, 'Yami can just shove it, I guess tonight I'm more single than not. Shouldn't have mistaken Malik for me. Don't care how drunk he might have been, damn him."

"…but it ended badly for both of us," Seto finished.

Ryou nodded, and patted Kaiba reassuringly on the arm. He'd missed all but the last bit, but, he could guess.

"It's alright, I get you. I dated this…This tiger, whoo, a while back, and…It ended badly, too."

Kaiba stiffened when the other patted him, but relaxed immediately as the other spoke.

"So you're not looking, I'm not looking, either. What's really going on?"

"I don't know. I guess," the millionaire said unsurely, "I guess I just wanted to chat. The liquor lightened me up, and, I'm just…I just need something to hold me over tonight."

"I see," Ryou said softly, mustering all the femininity he could into his sweet, tenor range, "Well, we're both kind of single-ish right now, so…"

"So."

"How about maybe…Maybe we make a promise?" Ryou said uncertainly, pulling on all his acting classes and all his knowledge of psychology, and, really, personal experience. He knew he was probably blushing, and sending off major liar signals…But the lights were off, so Seto couldn't tell, he figured. The poor guy didn't seem to be well-equipped with social fluidity.

"A deal? What kind of deal?"

"Not to have anything more than one night. Just tonight, just this once," Ryou explained, vaguely aware he was quoting, not verbatim, some kind of song by some American woman.

A hesitant silence.

"That sounds okay," uncertainty was eminent in Seto's voice.

"Just one night," Ryou said, "Because complicated problems only get worse in the morning light." Ryou cringed inwardly, 'Ooh, I think now I'm using direct quotes. Damn, I hope he hasn't heard that song.'

"Well, why not?" Seto asked. He opened his door, and the lights came on. He winced, but Ryou's head was still bent. The other opened his own door. They stepped out of the Porsche and the doors slammed shut, nearly simultaneously. Seto stepped around the hood, walking towards the small square of light that indicated the door. He was stopped by a body.

Arms snaked from the darkness and snaked around Seto's neck, pulling downwards. He complied.

A warm, tender kiss erupted into passion almost immediately, and if it weren't for the coolness and dampness of the garage, the cement on the ground would have never been the same.

However, they made it to the living room, and now, the Kaiba family couch will never be the same.

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Maria unlocked the door. Gabby and Chrysalis followed her into the main level of the Kaiba manor.

"Gabby, upstairs, Chrys, wake the gardeners."

"Yes'm," came the simultaneous reply, and the two maids scuttled off to their maidsy workings.

Maria, the head maid, started for the living room, the section adjoining the house to the main stairwell, the quickest way to the Master Bedroom. She walked into the main room, and saw a very pale body standing, looking around. She stopped, somewhat shocked at the sight of a disheveled, naked man in the center of the foyer. He grabbed a blanket from the floor, and flicked it outwards, covering something on the couch. He didn't glance in her direction. The lean man dressed quickly, and quietly. He looked around and then saw her. Pulled his hair back into a ponytail. Ran over to her.

"Hey, miss," he whispered strongly, "Could you help me out? I don't know where the exit is."

She pointed to the right, wordlessly.

The man thanked her, and jogged to the door. He left.

The short maid quickly fluttered over to the couch, and almost screamed in delight at the sight of a sleeping Master. A naked sleeping master. Ooh, the girls were getting good bedtime stories tonight.

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The End

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…Well, I hope you enjoyed it!!! :] It was kind of fast-paced, but… I would feel awkward writing over a couple thousand words. Sure, long stories are nice, but for one shots…. Anyhow, I tried to throw a little humor in there, and then, when I was bringing them home, I heard the song "Looking for a Good Time" by Lady Antebellum on Launchcast, and I laughed and it just got included. Well, I hope you enjoyed, and for the most part, read, so now all that's left to do is review, right? Hehe. Even if you don't, thanks for reading!!!


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